Que Sera, Sera
by BooBooKitty12
Summary: No one knows where Chase disappeared to after House told him to do nothing on their latest case. The team learns that Chase has a new girlfriend and everyone wonders why Cameron is taking it so badly. Takes place during Season Three after “Que Sera, Sera"
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The episode "Que Sera, Sera" always bothered me because Chase disappeared for half of the show and it was never mentioned again. Therefore, I decided to write this missing scenario.

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As House, Cameron and Foreman stood outside of their patients room discussing their latest case, House asked, "Where's Chase?"

"Dunno. Haven't seen him since you told him to sit on his ass yesterday," Cameron replied.

"Interesting," House remarked before continuing with the differential diagnosis.

Their newest patient, George, was a morbidly obese man who Chase believed was trying to commit suicide by eating himself to death. Chase's lack of interest in the case was the main reason House had basically told him to do nothing.

Quite honestly, House thought this would make Chase try harder in order to please his boss but clearly his plan had not worked.

House was glad that the ass-kisser had stood up to him for once and not worried about the consequences. Then again, Chase was the one fellow House could count on to come up with a creative suggestion to help solve the case and that's exactly what they needed right now.

It occurred to House that Chase had been acting differently lately, as if he had other things on his mind. Even in the conference room earlier that day, Chase had distanced himself by sitting apart from Foreman and Cameron and had seemed uninterested during the differential diagnosis.

Was it simply boredom because of his disdain for the patient or was there something he was hiding? When this case was solved, House decided he was going to find out just what was up with Chase.

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Once the team had figured out what was wrong with George, Chase was back at work as if nothing had happened. House, however, was not yet willing to let his intensivist off so easily.

"Where have you been? Did you take a quick trip home to visit the parents?" he harassed. "Oh, wait. You're an orphan, aren't you?"

Chase gave House a scathing look but ignored the jab, taking a seat next to Cameron at the conference room table.

"Well, don't worry your pretty little head," House continued. "We managed just fine without you on our last case."

"Hey, you're the one who told me to just sit on my ass," Chase defended himself. "Far be it from me not to listen to you."

Finding pleasure in the fact that Chase's new found confidence wasn't a one time thing House inquired, "So, what did you find to do with all your free time?"

There was the slightest hint of a smile before Chase turned away and answered, "Nothing you'd be interested in."

Becoming impatient, Foreman changed the subject, "Wouldn't our time be spent more wisely if we actually discussed our new patient? I just came from his room and he's still experiencing nausea. Chase, how long ago did you start him on an IV drip?"

Chase looked at his wrist and noticed that he wasn't wearing his watch. He nonchalantly pulled the sleeve of his lab coat down to cover his mistake and said, "It was about thirty minutes ago."

House, of course, noticed the gesture and wasn't about to let an opportunity pass to further make the Aussie squirm. He figured he would take a stab in the dark and see what kind of reaction it would cause.

With a smirk House said to Chase, "So that's what you did while you were gone. You got laid."

"What would make you think that?" Chase responded, furrowing his brow.

"It's obvious," House answered. "You're not wearing a watch."

"Isn't it possible that he just forgot it?" Foreman sneered.

"Nope," House replied. "There are certain things a doctor never forgets and a watch is one of them. Knowing Chase he keeps it right on his dresser and slips it on immediately after putting his shirt on every morning, you might say just like clockwork. Unless, of course, something interferes with his routine, like say.... sleeping at someone else's place."

As Chase secretly wondered how House was able to see through people so easily, he wasn't about to give in to his bosses prying into his personal life. With a little laugh he replied, "I wish you were right, but to tell the truth Foreman is. I really did just forget to wear it."

In a more serious tone House said, "I believe you. After all, there's one thing we've learned over the years and that's Robert Chase cannot tell a lie."

"Oh, wait," House added as if suddenly remembering. "That's George Washington. Chase on the other hand is a lying liar who lies."

"Why would I lie about this?" Chase asked with a shrug.

Foreman remarked, "I have no idea, unless it's because you don't want to give a certain someone information about your personal life that could be used as ammunition."

Cameron, feeling uncomfortable with the topic, asked, "Do you think we could possibly discuss the patient instead of Chase's lack of a sex life?"

Ignoring her, House turned back to Chase and remarked, "Quite honestly, it wasn't the watch that gave you away. It's the huge hickey on your neck."

As Foreman and Cameron turned to look, Chase visibly reddened, slid down in his seat and pulled his collar up higher to cover his neck.

"Actually, you're both a couple of liars," Foreman said. He turned to Chase and disgustedly added, "There's no hickey on your neck."

"So, who is she?" House asked, smiling triumphantly. "We know it couldn't have been Cameron because it doesn't look like she got stoned last night."

Cameron momentarily took offense at the reminder of her indiscretion, but she decided to let the comment pass when she realized that she was more than a little curious.

"Are you seeing someone?" she asked Chase, trying to sound uninterested but at the same time wondering why she even cared.

Chase, who never liked personal questions, was saved from answering when he noticed that House was no longer listening to the conversation. Instead, his attention was focused on the hallway outside. Foreman, who had also noticed House staring intently, followed the older man's gaze.

"Who the hell is that?" House exclaimed.

Chase and Cameron glanced at each other before turning around in their seats to see what had the other men so captivated.

Cameron's eyes opened wide when she saw the gorgeous woman who was talking to a nurse out in the hallway. The woman, who looked to be in her mid-twenties, had thick, long blond hair which softly cascaded in waves past her shoulders. She had piercing blue eyes that were offset by her perfectly tan skin. Cameron figured the fact that the woman was 5'8" tall with an amazing body didn't hurt either.

_Oh great,_ Cameron thought, _this is what has them acting like complete idiots? _

She turned around expecting to see Chase as entranced with this woman as the others were but was instead surprised to see him slightly frowning.

"If anything, I'm thinking she must be a model for Vogue magazine," observed Foreman admiringly.

"Vogue, are you kidding?" answered House. "We're going to have to call you Boreman from now on if that's the best you can come up with. She obviously could be a model for Playboy."

As the nurse pointed towards the Diagnostics Department, the unknown woman thanked her and headed towards the conference room.

House whispered conspiratorially, "She's coming this way. If we're lucky, she has some horrible, unexplained illness that no doctor has been able to diagnose."

Cameron gave him a hardened look and said sarcastically, "Nice."

Chase stood quickly and said to the others, "I'll see what she wants."

As Chase headed to the door, he was stopped by a cane that suddenly appeared between the wall and himself.

"Uh uh," House remarked. "I saw her first."

Seeing the woman arrive at the door, House motioned for her to come in.

She entered and politely introduced herself, "Hi, you must be Dr. House. I'm Gina. I've heard so much about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine," replied House charmingly. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Cameron was rolling her eyes.

"I'm really sorry to intrude but I was wondering if I could have a quick word with Robert," Gina said.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm really sorry to intrude but I was wondering if I could have a quick word with Robert," Gina said.

The three other doctors turned to Chase simultaneously with wide eyes and mouths agape.

Quickly assessing the situation, House answered, "Let me guess, you came to return his watch."

Foreman and Cameron exchanged surprised glances and waited to see if House was correct.

Gina smiled as she said to Chase, "Oh, you told them about us?"

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"Yeah, you know Robert, he's always so open about his personal life," House interrupted as Chase put his hands on his hips and lowered his head. "He couldn't wait to tell us all about you, but we would much rather hear it from you. So, how long have you two been dating?"

"Only for a little over a week," Gina answered. "We met when he came into the art gallery where I work and we hit it off right away."

"Art gallery, huh?" House inquired. He gave Chase a knowing look and, nodding his head sideways towards Gina, said to him, "I bet you saw something in the window and just had to have it."

Cameron couldn't resist taunting Chase in front of his new girlfriend, "Since when are you an art lover? I thought your favorite artist is the guy who painted the dogs playing poker."

As Gina laughed, Foreman offered his hand and introduced himself, "By the way, I'm Eric Foreman and this is Allison Cameron. We're all part of Dr. House's team."

Gina shook his hand and replied, "It's so nice to meet Robert's co-workers."

She looked at Cameron and added, "I hope to get to know all of you much better."

Chase, who couldn't think of anything he wanted less, spoke up, "Thanks for bringing my watch by but we're pretty busy right now. I'll walk you out though."

As Gina said her goodbyes, Cameron couldn't help but notice how she clasped Chase's hand possessively as they walked out the door.

House smiled slightly as he watched Wilson pass the couple in the hall and turn to stare at the beautiful vision that had just left the conference room.

Opening the door, Wilson asked, "Who the hell is that?"

Joining him in the doorway, House answered, "Unfortunately for you, she is not destined to become the next Mrs. James Wilson. That work of art is Chase's new girlfriend."

Foreman joined the other men in ogling the stunning young woman as she walked down the hall.

Wilson let out a low whistle and said to House, "Well, I guess you're right. Tens DO date tens."

_I don't see the big attraction, _thought Cameron. _In fact, something about Gina just doesn't sit right.__  
_

When Chase and Gina reached her car in the hospital parking lot she turned to him and said, "I hope you don't mind that I came to where you work. When I saw you had left your watch at my place, I thought you might need it."

"It's fine," Chase answered, wondering how it was possible that she looked even more beautiful every time he saw her. "I didn't mean to make it seem as if I were trying to rush you out of there but my boss can be a bit of an ass sometimes. And my co-workers aren't always much better."

"I'm surprised you never mentioned that one of the doctors you work with is a woman," stated Gina.

"I guess I never thought about it," Chase answered. "Does that matter?"

"No, of course not," Gina replied, shaking her head. "It's just that she's so pretty and you're so gorgeous I would think that the two of you would have gotten together. How long have you worked with her?"

"She would probably say too long," Chase joked. "Seriously though, there's no way her and I would ever start dating. She's in love with Dr. House."

"Seriously?" Gina asked in disbelief. "He's so......old."

"That's what I said," Chase laughed.

"I'm surprised he would get involved with one of his own employees," Gina observed.

"Oh, I didn't say they were involved," Chase corrected her. "They did go on a date once but I guess it didn't work out. It seems the attraction is pretty one-sided."

Changing the subject he added, "I'm glad you came by though because now we can make plans for tonight. Otherwise, I would have spent all day thinking about you."

"Ahh, you're so sweet," Gina responded, smiling wide.

Suddenly, the smile disappeared from Gina's face as her attention was drawn to a black BMW that was parked in the distance. Before she could get a good look at who was sitting in the driver's seat, a large UPS truck pulled in front of the car, blocking her view.

"Is something wrong?" asked Chase, turning to see what she was looking at.

"No, I just thought I saw someone I know," answered Gina, frowning slightly.

Watching the mail truck pull away, she noticed the car was no longer there.

Gina smiled once again and turning back to Chase said, "I guess it was just my imagination."

With that she quickly gave Chase a kiss on the lips, climbed into her car and started the engine.

"I'm so sorry," she said hurriedly. "I didn't realize how long I've been gone from work. When I get back to the gallery, I'll call you and we can make plans for later."

She pulled out of the parking space and was gone before Chase had a chance to respond.

He stood for a moment staring after her, curious as to what had made her leave so hastily.

Realizing that he had best get back to work himself, Chase shook his head and grudgingly returned to the conference room, preparing himself for the inevitable abuse that he knew was waiting for him.


	3. Chapter 3

The following day, Chase and Cameron were walking towards their patients hospital room when a nurse suddenly stopped them.

"Dr. Chase, do you know that man over there?" she asked pointing to a well dressed, dark haired man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. "He was asking a lot of questions about you."

Chase only caught a quick glimpse before the man stepped on the elevator and the doors closed.

"No," Chase answered. "He didn't look familiar. What did he want to know?"

"He was asking personal questions like where are you from and how long have you worked here," the nurse explained. "We told him he should speak to you directly or to Dr. Cuddy."

"Thanks April," Chase replied.

Continuing on their way, Cameron said to Chase, "That's weird. Do you think he could have anything to do with the cop who has it in for House?"

"Who knows," Chase answered.

"Maybe House has gone and done something completely insane like hire a private eye to investigate us," Chase joked.

The two doctors at first laughed at the idea that even House would do anything that crazy but then agreed that it sounded exactly like something House would do.

Shortly after Chase and Cameron entered the patients room, April passed Gina in the hall and, recognizing her as Chase's girlfriend from the previous day, directed her to the room where Chase could be found.

When Gina arrived, she saw through the glass wall that Chase was not alone. Cameron and he were standing shoulder to shoulder with their backs to the speaking with the patient.

Gina patiently stood outside for several minutes watching how the two interacted with each other until Chase finally turned and noticed her. He smiled and walked over to the door to greet her.

"What a nice surprise," he exclaimed. "How long have you been standing here?"

"Only a couple of minutes," Gina answered. "I didn't want to disturb the two of you so I figured I would just wait until you were finished."

Cameron, annoyed by the interruption, ignored their conversation and continued to prepare the patient for an injection. She pulled a syringe and a bottle containing 10 units of heparin from the medication cart.

"We're almost done here," she heard Chase reply to Gina. "I just have to run some blood work to the lab and then we can go grab some lunch? Why don't you wait here and I'll be back before you know it."

Gina watched Chase hurry down the hall and couldn't help but think how wonderfully handsome he was. Smiling, she turned back towards the patients room and gave a friendly wave to Cameron who acknowledged Gina with a weak smile and a nod of the head.

Just then April stepped into the room to tell Cameron that there was an important telephone call for her at the nurse's station. Leaving the syringe and the medication on the tray, she hurried out of the room to take the call, passing Gina outside of the room.

Several moments passed when Cameron finished her telephone conversation. Heading back to the patient's room, she once again passed Gina who was now standing closer to the nurse's desk waiting for Chase to return. Feeling it would be rude to completely ignore the woman, Cameron she stopped to say hello.

"Hi, Gina," she began. "So, I heard you and Chase are going out for lunch. That's nice."

"Yeah, I guess it was lucky I came by when he had some free time," Gina responded. "I know how busy you all are. You're welcome to join us if you like."

Cameron winced inwardly at the idea of spending time with Gina but hid it well saying, "I'm sorry but I can't make it, I have to get back to our patient. You two have a good time though."

With that, Cameron entered the patients room and set about filling the syringe with the heparin.

At the same time, Chase returned from the lab and said to Gina, "I'm just going to check with Cameron to make sure she doesn't need me for anything else and then we're good to go."

"Wow, that was quick," Cameron remarked when he entered the room. "You must be in a hurry to get out of here. Go ahead, I can finish up here by myself."

As Chase watched Cameron fill the syringe, he glanced at the bottle and his eyes opened wide.

Grabbing the bottle from her hand and pulling Cameron away so the patient couldn't hear, he whispered harshly, "What are you doing?"

"What's wrong?" she asked, confused by Chase's action.

When Chase showed her the bottle she was using to fill the syringe, Cameron was appalled to see that it was 10,000 units of heparin.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, covering her mouth in shock. "I can't believe I almost gave that to a patient."

"No worries," said Chase trying to ease her mind. "You didn't give it to him so that's all that matters. Besides, it's an easy mistake to make. The bottles look exactly alike."

"But that's just it," Cameron recalled. "I distinctly remember checking to make sure the bottle said 10 units because I know they look so much alike. I don't know how this could have happened."

Trying to figure out what went wrong, Cameron stated, "I was called out of here for a phone call. Maybe someone came in and switched the bottles."

Raising his eyebrows in disbelief, Chase responded, "I'm sorry, but do you know how ridiculous that sounds? Who would do such a thing?"

Cameron turned her head to look through the glass wall and saw Gina staring at them with a concerned look on her face.

Putting his hand on her shoulder, Chase tried to comfort her saying, "Cameron, everyone makes mistakes. Even you. Fortunately no harm was done so no one needs to know."

Cameron let it drop but she still found it hard to accept that she could have made such an error. She had to admit, however, that it did sound preposterous that someone could have made a switch. Most of all, it bothered her to think that Gina was her prime suspect.

"You're right," Cameron acquiesced, swallowing hard to keep from crying.

"Cameron, let me finish this," Chase offered. "You go take a break."

"No, really I'm fine," she insisted. "You go to lunch. And Chase....thanks."

Chase gave Cameron a reassuring smile and, after studying her face and feeling confident that she was okay, he left the room.

After watching Chase and Gina leave together, Cameron proceeded with the injection, shakily grabbed the patients file and headed back to the conference room where she found Foreman and House discussing the case.

"Where's Chase?" House asked as soon as she arrived.

"He went out to lunch with Gina," Cameron replied casually, belying the turmoil she felt inside.

"You mean he went out for a quickie with Gina," remarked House.

Noticing how Cameron frowned at his remark, House stated matter-of-factly, "I don't believe it. You're jealous."

"I am not!" Cameron replied angrily. "I just don't think the sun rises and sets by her the way everyone else does. Don't you think it's a little strange how she just shows up here all the time without any warning?"

"What I think is strange is how much it seems to bother you," observed House. "Admit it, you'd like to take another trip to the land down under."

"I think it must be time for you to take another Vicodin," answered Cameron indignantly. "Obviously the pain in your leg is clouding your judgment."

"Actually, I think he's right," interjected Foreman. "I've noticed that you've been on Chase's case a lot lately. What's with that? Do you have a thing for him?"

"And I've noticed that you've _always_ been on Chase's case," Cameron retorted sharply. "Maybe you're the one who has a thing for him."

"Hey, just making an observation," answered Foreman with a shrug.

Realizing she had sounded a little too defensive, Cameron calmed down and said, "Look, I just don't want to see Chase get hurt, that's all."

"Believe me," House said with a suggestive grin, "if Gina hurts him, it's because he asked her to."


	4. Chapter 4

Chase and Gina stepped into the crowded diner and the hostess directed them to one of the few booths that were still available.

After placing their orders, Gina reached for Chase's hand across the table and leaned closer so only he could hear.

"I had a wonderful time last night," she whispered, intertwining her fingers with his.

"Really, I could hardly tell," Chase teased. "I just thought you were having some sort of religious experience because you kept yelling 'Oh, God!' over and over."

Gina laughed and, lowering her voice seductively, bantered back, "How about a repeat performance tonight. Who knows, maybe you'll get a hallelujah."

"I'd love to, but unfortunately I'm going to have to call you later and let you know if I can make it," Chase explained. "We're still struggling to diagnose our patient and I'm not sure if I'll be able to get away."

"I don't see why not," stated Gina. "Certainly Allison and Eric can handle things. Do all of you have to stay until the case is solved?"

"Usually," Chase answered. "House can be a real hard-ass when he wants to be. And besides, I didn't help on the last case so I have to stay this time. I've pretty much figured out how far I can push him."

Seeing the waitress arrive with the meals, the two let go of each others hands so she could put the plates on the table.

"Mmmm, that looks good," remarked Gina. "I don't know about you but I'm starved."

Chase smiled as he watched Gina take a huge bite of her cheeseburger and close her eyes, savoring the taste. Damn, he thought, how did she manage to even make that look sexy.

Taking a bite of his own burger, Chase heard Gina say, "So, do you ever get any time off? I was thinking it would be nice if we could go away for a romantic weekend."

Shaking his head, Chase said, "Sorry, but since Dr. House has managed to get himself in trouble with some cop it's been pretty crazy at work. I'm not sure when I'll be able to get away."

After a small hesitation, Gina hid her disappointment by responding, "I guess I'll have to settle for sharing you with others for now."

Taking another bite of her burger, Gina asked, "By the way, does Cameron have a problem with me?"

Chase gave her a questioning look and stated, "Not that I know of. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know," Gina responded with a slight shrug, "I just get a really weird vibe from her. Almost as if she's jealous of us."

Laughing, Chase replied, "Believe me, I'm the last person she would be interested in."

Gina, thinking to herself that she wasn't so sure about that, inquired curiously, "Are you interested in her?"

Chase paused, surprised by the question and tried to determine the best way to answer it.

"Of course I think she's attractive. It doesn't mean I want to have sex with her though," Chase said, deciding to be somewhat honest but not about to admit that he had already slept with Cameron.

He continued, "The thing about her is, she likes to save people so I guess she doesn't find me damaged enough to care about."

"Do you think that's what she sees in Dr. House?" Gina asked. "Someone to save?"

"Maybe," Chase answered. "Quite honestly, I've never been able to figure her out."

Gina remained quiet for a moment as she considered this new information, then changed the conversation to small talk as they finished their meals.

Once they were done eating, Chase took the check to the cashier where there was a line of patrons already waiting to pay.

Spotting someone she knew staring intently through the diner's window, Gina decided it was best to confront the man in private. While Chase waited on line she told him that she was going to step outside to get some fresh air.

Walking out onto the sidewalk, Gina saw the man turning the corner and quietly called, "Danny! Wait!"

Turning, the man smiled smugly.

Catching up to him, Gina asked angrily, "What are you up to? Don't think I didn't see you following me at the hospital yesterday. What do you want?"

With a more serious look, Danny answered, "You know exactly what I want. And now that you have your new boy toy, I'm expecting that you will be much more willing to make sure I get it. I'm guessing you haven't told him about me, right?"

Furious at the position Danny was putting her in, Gina wanted to slap his face and tell him to go to hell but she managed to control her emotions and calmly say, "No, I haven't. Danny, please don't ruin this for me."

Laughing, Danny responded, "By doing what? Do you think there's some way I could make you look bad? Don't worry, I'm sure he thinks you're perfect. At least for now."

"Fine, I promise to meet with you later," Gina swore. "But in the mean time, I want you to leave Robert out of this and stay away from us."

Narrowing his eyes, Danny said, "That's funny, Gina. I would think that you of all people would know that you don't always get what you want."

With that, he turned the corner and was gone leaving Gina standing on the sidewalk alone.

"What are you frowning about?" she heard Chase inquire from behind her.

Gina wrapped her arms around Chase's neck and, pulling him close to her, responded, "I was just thinking about how you have to go back to work now and how much it sucks that I can't spend more time with you."


	5. Chapter 5

Several hours later, House and his team were still in the conference room going over the results of the patient's latest tests.

"On top of everything else, he's also shown signs of depression. It could be Cushing's" Foreman offered.

Looking at the long list of symptoms on the whiteboard House countered, "If you had all of these things wrong, you'd be depressed too. What else?"

"I think it could be..." started Cameron.

"Don't say it," interrupted House.

"...lupus," Cameron finished.

"She says it anyway," House moaned. "Come on people, let's use some imagination."

Hearing a soft knock on the door, they all turned to see Gina holding a picnic basket.

Cameron irritatedly muttered "Oh, great!" as Foreman walked over to open the door.

"I hope you don't mind my showing up unexpectedly, but I know how hard you're all working and thought you might like some dinner," Gina stated hesitantly.

"You shouldn't have gone to so much trouble," Cameron responded sternly. "We're really busy and don't have time to stop what we're doing right now."

House, amused by Cameron's uncustomary rudeness, replied, "Speak for yourself. I, for one, am always willing to take whatever a beautiful woman is willing to offer."

Seeing Cameron's look of frustration, House added, "Besides, I think we can all use a break. Maybe some sustenance is exactly what the three of you need to get your brains working."

Chase smiled and eagerly opened the basket to find sandwiches, potato salad, cheese and crackers, homemade cookies and, his favorite, fruit salad.

"I can just drop this off and go if I'm in the way," Gina offered.

"Don't be silly," House remarked, knowing it would annoy Cameron even more. "We wouldn't dream of you leaving without sharing in all of this wonderful food."

Pulling out a chair he added, "You can sit right here between Chase and Cameron."

Knowing that Wilson was also working late that night, House grabbed two sandwiches and stated, "I'll be in Wilson's office. Come and get me when you're actually ready to get back to work."

As Foreman and Chase regaled Gina with stories of what it was like to work for House, Cameron finished her meal in silence.

Once they were all done eating, Cameron couldn't wait to excuse herself under the pretext that she was going to get House.

Foreman volunteered to go with Cameron while Chase helped Gina pack up the leftovers in the basket and offered to walk her to her car.

While they were waiting for the elevator, Gina exclaimed, "Oh, I forgot my handbag in the conference room. You stay here and hold the elevator door. I'll be right back."

*****************************************************************

Once Foreman and Cameron were alone, he led her to the hospital's waiting room so they could have a private conversation.

"Hey, I know it's none of my business but I can't help but notice that you have something against Gina," he began. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Since when do you want to be my friend?" Cameron asked suspiciously. "You've made it abundantly clear that we're just colleague's."

"Okay, I admit I was wrong about that and I'm sorry," Foreman apologized uncharacteristically. "It's just that you've seemed preoccupied all day. If you have feelings for Chase it's only human nature to be jealous, but you can't let it cloud your work."

For a moment, Cameron thought of confiding in Foreman about the mixed feelings she was having about Chase.

Originally she had believed that the one night they had spent together was only a diversion that she had needed to take her mind off of her HIV scare. She knew that Chase had always been attracted to her and was sure he wouldn't turn her down when she called him to her apartment that night.

Afterwards, however, she couldn't help but be hurt by how quickly Chase had dismissed it by saying, "Last night probably shouldn't happen again".

She certainly hadn't wanted it to happen again. Still, she had felt pleased when he had also added that the sex didn't suck. It was true. In fact, it had been pretty great. Maybe that's why she couldn't stop thinking about him.

Regardless, he obviously had no problem moving past that night and Cameron's resentment had caused her to lash out at him on more than one occasion.

But now she honestly couldn't figure out why Chase having a new girlfriend would bother her. It's not as if she hadn't had to endure knowing about all of the women he had picked up with that stupid shark story. Why should this be any different?

It's not as if she wanted any type of relationship with him so why should she care if he was with someone else?

Even though it meant spending her nights alone, she was willing to wait for the real thing like she had with her husband to come along.

Watching Foreman look at her with his superior attitude, Cameron decided that it was best to keep these feelings to herself. She was confused enough without having to deal with his judgments.

"How many times do I have to say it," complained Cameron. "I am not the least bit interested in Chase."

Thinking about what had happened earlier that morning with the heparin, Cameron continued, "I admit I don't like Gina but it's not because I'm jealous. I just don't trust her."

_Yeah, you certainly don't sound jealous, _thought Foreman.

"Fine. If there's nothing to discuss then let's get back to work," was all he said.

*****************************************************************

House, who was sitting in Wilson's office finishing one of the sandwiches that Gina had brought, was half listening to his friend's advise.

"I don't think you should mess around with this guy Tritter," Wilson said. "And I also think it would be a good idea for you to hire a lawyer."

"You're right," House commented. "I should hire Alan Shore. He's the best."

Shaking his head and letting out a long sigh, Wilson replied, "That would be a great idea except for the fact that, much like the hookers who _pretend_ to be your girlfriends, Alan Shore is an actor by the name of James Spader who is _pretending_ to be a lawyer."

"Really?" House asked, his voice raised an octave as if he were surprised. "They should really give that guy an Emmy. He's great."

"I wouldn't know," Wilson stated blandly. "I hate award shows."

There was a knock on the door and Wilson called, "Come in."

Cameron and Foreman informed House that they were ready to continue with the differential diagnosis.

As House was leaving, Wilson said to him, "Hey, thanks for the sandwich. It's about time you reciprocated."

"Now that's just insulting," answered House. "You act as if I never buy."

*****************************************************************

Heading back to work after walking Gina to her car, Chase once again noticed the man who had been asking questions about him quickly leaving the hospital.

Chase ran to catch him but the man jumped into a black BMW and raced away, leaving Chase cursing after him.

Determined to find out exactly what was going on, he figured his first course of action should be to confront House and find out if he knew anything about this.

Returning to the conference room, Chase was instead shocked to find House yelling at Cameron.

"How the hell could you make such a stupid mistake!" House chastised.

Pointing his cane at Chase, he continued, "At least he had his father's death as an excuse when he screwed up. What's your excuse?"

Cameron stood dumbfounded, staring at the patient's file that House had thrust into her hands.

"She didn't screw up," Chase interjected, stepping forward to defend her. "The mistake was discovered before she injected the patient with the wrong dosage of heparin. There was no harm done."

Leaning heavily on his cane and staring intensely at a slack-jawed Cameron, House angrily asked, "Would you like to tell me what the hell he's talking about?"


	6. Chapter 6

For the second time that day, Cameron was trying to make sense out of how she could have made such a careless error.

She looked helplessly around the room, first at House who was furiously waiting for an answer, then at Foreman who seemed completely disgusted, and lastly at Chase who stood in utter confusion at what had transpired since he left the room.

"What's going on?" Chase inquired.

Handing him the patient's chart, Cameron explained, "I was sure I made a notation for the nurse's to administer five milligrams of Compazine if the patient began suffering severe nausea. As you can see, the chart clearly shows fifteen milligrams."

"And I'm waiting for an explanation of what happened with the heparin," House pressed Cameron. "Did you make more than one idiotic mistake today?"

Cameron, who was embarrassed to admit her failure to House, explained, "Earlier I was positive I had grabbed a bottle of ten milligrams of heparin to inject the patient with, but then I was called from the room. When I came back and started filling the syringe, Chase noticed it was ten thousand milligrams."

At a loss as how to explain the mix up, a desperate Cameron blurted out, "I think someone's trying to set me up. It's a little suspicious that both times there was an error, Gina was present."

The three men stared at her in disbelief.

House was the first to speak, "So in between screwing Chase and bringing us dinner, you think she also took the time to plan your downfall? Wouldn't she at least need to have some knowledge of medicine to pull this off?"

Cameron sat down, putting her elbows on the table and running her fingers through her hair in exasperation.

Trying to find some way to make sense of this, Chase offered, "Maybe she's right."

When the others turned to him in confusion he added, "Not about Gina, of course, but it's possible someone is trying to make this department look bad. There's been a man hanging out here and asking questions about me. It's possible he's involved in some way."

House pursed his lips and nodded thoughtfully before agreeing with Chase, "Of course, it's so obvious. This mystery man is planning to kidnap you, take you to his country lair and make you his male bride. Evidently he became jealous of Cameron when he mistook her as your boyfriend so he decided to frame her to get her out of the picture. Yes, it all makes perfect sense."

Chase rolled his eyes in exasperation and replied, "That's not exactly the scenario I had in mind."

Placing his hands on his hips, Chase continued, "Perhaps it has something to do with Officer Tritter. Maybe he's trying to get under your skin by making this department look bad. He could be under the mistaken belief that if he can blame our mistakes on a lack of supervision due to your drug use, then you would feel responsible and cooperate with his investigation."

House gave a short laugh and replied, "Okay, I hate to say this but you really need to stop having so much sex and let some of that blood get back to your brain. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, even from you."

"The only police that would possibly be involved in spying on you would be the fashion police," House added, noticeably surveying Chase from head to toe. "From the looks of what you're wearing, I'm willing to bet they're ready to make an arrest."

Chase looked down at his clothes and quickly glanced at his co-workers to discern their reaction to House's insult. Seeing Cameron still sitting with her head in her hands, he immediately forgot his own humiliation and his heart went out to her.

"Then how do you explain it?" Chase asked House pointedly. "You don't really believe that Cameron is that careless, do you?"

"If not, then the other option is Cameron's right and Gina set her up," suggested House.

Turning to Cameron, he asked, "Considering the three of you were in this room having dinner with her, how do you figure she managed to change the numbers without anyone noticing?"

"It's impossible," scoffed Foreman. "Gina was never alone in here and if she had touched the patient's file, one of us would have definitely seen her."

Chase stood in stunned silence as he realized this wasn't completely true. Gina had come back for her handbag but was only alone in the room for a moment. Was it possible she could have had time to make the change?

"All of you just go home," exclaimed House disgustedly. "I need to think."

"And Cameron," House added as the three fellows made their way to the door, "when you come in tomorrow, you better have a good excuse as to why I shouldn't fire you."

*************************************************

Cameron entered her apartment and threw her coat over the closest chair, too exhausted to bother hanging it up.

She then walked into her bedroom and changed into sweatpants and a tank top, went into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of chardonnay and curled up on the sofa to relax.

As Cameron reflected on the events of the day, her thoughts were disturbed by a knock on the door.

She leaned her head back on the couch, annoyed by the interruption. The last thing she wanted right now was company.

Dragging herself off the couch and placing her glass of wine on the coffee table, Cameron moved to the door and peered through the peephole to see who was there.

Somewhat relieved to find out her visitor was Chase, she opened the door slightly to see why he was here.

"Hey, I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he said.

"I've been better," Cameron replied. "It was nice of you to come by, but I'd really like to be alone. I have a lot to think about."

"That's why I'm here," Chase answered. "I was hoping we could put our heads together and figure out what's going on. Do you mind if I come in?"

Opening the door wider and stepping aside to let him in, Cameron asked if he would like to join her for a drink.

Chase took off his leather jacket while Cameron poured him a glass of wine and refilled her own.

They both sat down on the sofa and Chase began, "I'm really sorry that I got you in even more trouble by bringing up the incident with the heparin."

"It's not your fault," Cameron reassured him. "You had no way of knowing that I had made another idiotic mistake. I know you were just trying to help. I'm just not sure why."

Taking a sip of his wine, Chase wondered the same thing. He knew Cameron, along with everyone else, considered him to be an opportunistic jerk.

Over the years he had learned that he had no one to look out for him so he had developed a self-defense mechanism that enabled him to protect himself and look out for his own best interests.

But here he was now actually caring about someone else. And Cameron of all people who could sometimes be completely insensitive when she dealt with him, especially lately.

He assumed it was because of the night they had slept together and once again regretted his past weakness.

In order to protect her he had covered up his real feelings and pretended as if that night had never happened. As time progressed, however, Cameron's barbs only became sharper.

Occasionally he felt envious when he watched how tender and sweet she was to their patients, wishing he knew what it was like to have her care about him. But he knew where he stood with her and wasn't prepared to push things.

"The whole thing does seem strange," Chase mentioned, getting back to why he was here. "I mean, I can see you making one mistake but I find it hard to believe it could have happened twice in one day. You're too good of a doctor for that."

Cameron looked at him gratefully and asked, "So do you really think there's a chance that I didn't screw up or are you just trying to make me feel better?"

"Both," Chase answered with a slight smile.

Seeing the tears that had welled up in Cameron's eyes slide down her cheeks, Chase reached out and wiped them away. Not being able to resist, he leaned in and kissed her gently.

Cameron responded hungrily and pulled Chase closer, needing the comfort that he was offering. As the kiss became more passionate, Chase was surprised to find Cameron unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it off of his body.

He did little to protest and returned her kiss eagerly, pausing only to pull the tank top over her head and toss it to the floor.

Moaning at the feel of Chase's hands running expertly over her body, Cameron climbed on top of him, straddling his lap, and reached down to undo his pants.

Suddenly coming to his senses, Chase caught hold of Cameron's hands and stopped what they were doing.

Not wanting to make the same lapse in judgment he made before by having sex with Cameron when she was distraught, Chase gasped, "We can't."

Confused and embarrassed, Cameron pulled away and grabbed her top from the floor. Slipping it back on, she stood up and drained her glass of wine in one gulp.

Chase put his own shirt on and also stood, feeling terrible for his responsibility in what had just transpired.

Walking to the door, Cameron opened it and stated, "You should go."

"Cameron, I'm sorry," he responded, not knowing what else to say.

He picked up his jacket and walked out the door leaving Cameron feeling as if she had just made her third stupid mistake of the day.


	7. Chapter 7

Chase stepped out onto the front steps of Cameron's apartment building and put on his jacket. He sighed deeply, full of regret for how the evening had ended.

Although he didn't want to believe that Gina could have had anything to do with Cameron's mistakes, Chase still had doubts and needed to find out the truth. He took out his phone and dialed her cell number.

"Hi, Babe," Gina answered having seen his name on the Caller ID. "What a nice surprise. Are you still working?"

"Actually I'm leaving now," Chase lied, deciding it was best not tell Gina that he had visited Cameron. "There was a mistake involving Cameron so House got pissed and sent us all home."

"Oh, that's terrible," Gina responded. "I hope it wasn't anything too serious. Is she okay?"

"There was an error with the patient's medication but fortunately no one was hurt. She seemed pretty upset though," Chase explained.

Trying to measure her reaction, Chase added, "And I certainly didn't make matters any better when I mentioned that some strange guy has been hanging around the hospital and maybe he or someone else set Cameron up."

Gina paused a moment before answering as though she were considering something. Finally she said, "Robert, why didn't you mention this before? This guy could be really dangerous."

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself" Chase answered. "No matter what you might hear from House to the contrary, I really wouldn't run like a scared wombat."

Hearing Gina laugh, Chase continued, "Hey, the only good thing to come out of this is now we can get together tonight."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Gina replied. "Since I thought you were working tonight I made other plans and now I can't get out of them."

In frustration, Chase ran his free hand through his hair and replied, "It's okay, but I really need to talk to you. Can you call me when you get home? It doesn't matter how late it is."

"Sure," answered Gina. "It sounds pretty important so I'll try my best to make it an early night."

They both said good-bye and, closing his phone and putting it in his pocket, Chase walked to his car.

Driving away, he never noticed the car that was parked across the street with the driver closely watching every move he made.

*******************************************

As she ruminated about how things had ended earlier with Chase, Cameron laid on her couch mindlessly watching "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition". Usually this show cheered her up because it fulfilled her need to help people but she knew nothing was going to help her mood tonight.

Disgusted with everything that had happened today, she turned off the television and decided to read a book hoping it would help take her mind off of everything. While scanning her bookshelf her phone rang and without thinking about looking to see who was calling, she instinctively answered it.

She immediately regretted it when she realized who was on the line, "Hi Cameron, it's Gina. Robert told me about what happened earlier and I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

Still suspicious of Gina's motives, Cameron couldn't help pushing her buttons a little, "I'm fine. I admit it was pretty rough today but Robert was great. I don't know how I would have gotten through all of this without his support. It's nice to know that he's always there for me."

There was an uncomfortable pause which made Cameron know that she had hit her mark. Even though she knew she was being petty, for the first time all day she managed a slight smile.

"Yeah, Robert's a great friend," Gina finally responded. "Actually, he was just telling me that there's been some guy hanging around at work. Did you happen to see him?"

Wondering why Gina cared, Cameron answered, "Yeah, he was talking to the nurse's and asking questions about Robert."

"What did he look like," Gina inquired.

"I didn't get a very good look at him because he hurried off but he was nice looking, well dressed, dark hair, probably in his mid-thirties," described Cameron. "Why do you ask?"

Again Gina hesitated as she prepared what she wanted to say, "Cameron, I think I know who this man is and if I'm right, it could explain everything about what's been going on with you at work. I'm also afraid that Robert might be next and I'm worried for his safety. He could be in a lot of danger and it's all my fault."

"What are you talking about," demanded Cameron. "Why would this guy want to hurt Chase or make me look bad? Gina, what have you done?"

Sounding more nervous, Gina remarked, "You have to believe I never dreamed he would go this far. Look, Robert told me that you like to help others and even though I realize that I may not be one of your favorite people, I could really use your help right now. Can we meet tonight and I'll explain everything to you?"

Feeling uncomfortable being Gina's confidant, Cameron said, "Don't you think that you should talk to Robert about this? He's going to find out eventually and it would be better coming from you. I get the feeling that he's felt betrayed by enough people that he's cared about and he deserves to hear the truth from you."

"I promise I'll tell him everything when this is all over," swore Gina, "but I can't involve him right now. It's for his own safety. I wouldn't ask this of you but there's really no one else I can turn to."

Cameron thought about her options for a moment but the fear in Gina's voice made her decision for her.

"Okay, fine," she gave in. "Let me give you my address and you can come over."

"No," stated Gina, "it would be better if you met me at the art gallery where I work. It's the one right off campus on Pine Street. Do you know it?"

"Yeah, but I really don't feel like going out," complained Cameron. "Can't you come here?"

"I would but it's not a good idea," explained Gina. "I'm already at the gallery and if he's watching me, at least he can't follow me to where you live. Believe me, it's better this way. Oh, one more thing, when you get here, make sure you park in the back and come in through the back entrance. "

"Gina, who is this creep?" Cameron inquired, becoming more concerned by the moment.

There was a long pause on the other end before Gina finally admitted, "He's my husband."


	8. Chapter 8

When Cameron was finally was able to speak after hearing Gina's confession, she angrily berated the woman, "Husband?! Does Chase know about this? What am I saying, of course he doesn't. How could you betray him like that? You are such a..."

"Believe me, I understand how you feel," interrupted Gina. "I feel terrible for misleading Robert but please give me a chance to explain."

"Why should I believe anything you have to say?" Cameron demanded.

"Because I'm only telling you this to help you," Gina pointed out. "I truly believe Danny's the one who's trying to set you up. You have no idea what he's capable of. I promise to tell you everything when you get here. Will you still come?"

Cameron bit her lip as she tried to determine her best course of action. Knowing that she had no choice but to listen to what Gina had to say, she agreed to the meeting and hung up the phone.

As Cameron rushed out of her apartment she ran into her neighbor, Annie, who observed, "You're in an awful hurry. Is there an emergency at the hospital?"

"No, believe it or not I'm going to meet up with Dr. Chase's girlfriend," Cameron disclosed.

"Oh, you mean THAT Dr. Chase?" Annie inquired with an appreciative smile.

Cameron sheepishly rolled her eyes and nodded. One evening the two women had gone out for drinks and both had imbibed a little too much. When Annie started talking about how she would like to get to know the gorgeous doctor that Cameron worked with, a tipsy Cameron confessed her one night stand with Chase in order to keep Annie away. Fortunately she hadn't gone so far as to admit the circumstances behind it but now she was wishing that she had never shared that bit of information.

"Sorry, I don't have time to talk," called out Cameron as she rushed down the hall leaving a bewildered Annie wondering if she was about to miss a major cat fight.

**********************************************

Arriving at the art gallery, Cameron parked behind the building and knocked on the back door. Gina opened the door immediately and pulled her inside, closing the door as quickly as possible.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," she said. "Can I get you some coffee or tea?"

"No, I'm not here to socialize," announced Cameron sternly. "I'm only here to get answers so I would appreciate it if you would get to the point."

Gina took a deep breath and began, "Fine, but you might want to sit down. This is going to take awhile. First of all, let me just explain that even though Danny and I are still married, we have been separated for almost a year. We started dating in high school and got married right after college. I finally got the courage to leave him after years of verbal and physical abuse."

"If that's true, why would you have stayed with him for so long or even marry him in the first place?" Cameron inquired.

"Obviously you've never been in an abusive relationship," stated Gina, who was sadly looking at her hands which were clasped in her lap. "Danny controlled every aspect of my life. He refused to let me have a job or even see my friends or family. Still, I loved him so much and wanted to believe him when he swore that he would never hit me again but he always did. Even making me believe that it was my own fault. Your lucky that you don't know what it's like to live in constant fear. Finally I made a decision to stop being afraid and I left him. That's when it only got worse. He has fought the divorce at every turn and in an effort to make me come back to him, he has started to threaten the people I care about which up until now has only been my family who are too far away for him to get to."

Pausing to look pleadingly at Cameron, Gina continued, "But then I met Robert. I know it was stupid of me but I thought I could hide our relationship from Danny until I felt the time was right to tell Robert everything. The last thing I wanted was a confrontation between them. I'm too afraid of what Danny would do to him. Setting you up is only a drop in the bucket of what he's capable of."

"Which begs the question, what does any of this have to do with me?" asked Cameron. "What would he possibly have to gain by setting me up and maybe even killing a patient if the errors hadn't been discovered."

Gina laughed, "Believe me, he could care less about you or your patient. This was all part of his plan to make sure I knew he was coming after Robert. "

Seeing the look of confusion on Cameron's face, Gina further explained, "Danny is a pharmaceutical salesman. He's knows a lot about medications and dosages so he knew that when I heard what your mistakes were I would immediately realize that it he was warning me that he was coming after Robert. In his own twisted mind, I'm sure he thought I would come running back to him in fear of what he would do next. If not, he would be prepared to do whatever it takes."

Cameron sat in stunned silence after hearing Gina's disclosure. Was it possible that she had misjudged this woman? Gina had never been anything but polite and considerate to everyone since Cameron had met her. Cameron hated to admit to herself that there had been a certain level of jealousy which had made her want to dislike Gina. It made her sick to think of everything Gina had gone through in the past several years with this man. But when she remembered that now Chase was the one in danger, she once again became angry.

"I don't know how you expect me to be any help," Cameron remarked. "Why haven't you gone to the police?"

"The police are useless," Gina explained. "Don't you think I've tried over the years? Unless they have concrete evidence that Danny has done something wrong, they won't touch him. And believe me, he's way too smart to leave any evidence."

**********************************************

Walking into his apartment, Chase threw his mail on the coffee table and hung up his jacket. Grabbing a beer out of the fridge, he sat down on the sofa and put his feet up on the table. Taking a long drink, he laid his head on the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling trying his best to relax.

Not being able to take his mind off of today's events, he looked at his watch restlessly. A feeling of dread came over him as he realized that he most likely had a long wait before he would be able to question Gina.

Looking for something to occupy his time, he picked up his mail and started looking through it. At the bottom of the pile, Chase found a plain white envelope with just his name on it. The fact that it had no stamp or address written on it made him suspicious as to who would have taken the trouble to drive by his apartment to drop it in his box.

Opening the envelope, he pulled out a three-page letter and leaned back to read it. As he got halfway down the first page, Chase leaned forward on the sofa in consternation as he read on. Once he was finished, he continued holding the pages as he ran his fingers through his hair in confusion. House was right, Chase thought, he was an idiot. How could he have been so blind?

Rushing to his phone he quickly dialed Cameron's number. Getting her answering machine, Chase exclaimed worriedly, "Cameron, I know you're there! Please pick up!"


	9. Chapter 9

After trying to call Cameron a couple of times but getting no answer, Chase dialed the number for her cell phone and groaned in frustration when he heard the call go straight to her voice mail. Grabbing his keys and his jacket he ran out the door.

Arriving a few minutes later at Cameron's apartment, Chase banged loudly on her door and called out her name to no avail. Hearing the ruckus, Annie opened her door and stepped out into the hallway to see what was going on.

"Oh, it's you," she said. "I'm sorry but Allison's not home."

"Do you know where she went?" Chase inquired.

Annie hesitated, not sure if Cameron would want him to know who she had gone to meet.

Stepping closer, Chase pleaded with her, "I have reason to believe that she could be in trouble. If you know where she is, please tell me."

Hearing the anxiety in his voice, Annie responded, "All I know is that she went to meet your girlfriend. I'm sorry but I don't know where."

Chase pulled Annie close to him and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks!" he exclaimed as he ran out of the building.

***********************************************

As Cameron assessed the situation she commented, "I assume since you asked me to meet you here that you must have an idea of what I can do to help."

"You would think so but to tell you the truth I'm at a loss as to what to do," replied Gina. "I have been dealing with this for so long that I can't even think straight anymore. That's why I need your advice because lately, I'm afraid, my decisions have been led by fear."

Walking over to the desk next to where Cameron was standing, Gina opened the top drawer to show Cameron what was inside.

"You bought a gun?!" Cameron gasped. "What were you thinking?"

"It's only for self-defense. I refuse to be a victim anymore," asserted Gina. "My only problem is I don't know if I would have the nerve to use it if I had to. All I know is when the time comes, it will be either him or me."

Gina walked away from the desk and nervously began pacing back and forth. Finally coming to a stop, she turned to face Cameron and apologized, "I'm really sorry. I never should have involved you in this. If Danny finds out you're helping me then he will punish you severely. You should go before it's too late but please promise me you won't tell Robert. I'm afraid it would be a death sentence for him if he tries to confront Danny."

"I'm not going anywhere," Cameron remarked matter-of-factly. "You asked for my help and that's exactly why I'm here."

Cameron and Gina both turned to the door in surprise when they heard the sound of hands clapping.

Danny was standing in the doorway smiling and remarked, "Bravo Gina, well done. I don't know how you did it, but you've managed to win support from your biggest rival."

***********************************************

Chase pulled out his cell phone and called Gina's number as he ran to his car. Not getting any answer he then tried her apartment all the while knowing that the result would be the same.

Applying the logic that he had been trained to use during diagnostics, Chase concluded that there was only one place Gina and Cameron could be. His only hope was that he would get there in time.

***********************************************

Seeing Gina freeze up and stare at the man with her eyes open wide, Cameron responded, "I'm not her rival. I'm her friend and I have no intention of letting you get away with anything."

Looking momentarily confused, Danny then laughed and replied, "You're her friend? That's funny. Obviously you don't know her at all. Gina doesn't have any friends."

"That's because you wouldn't allow it but she's making her own decisions now," Cameron argued. "She's done with you."

Taking a glance at Gina to gauge her reaction to what Cameron was saying, an amused Danny answered, "Is that right?"

"Yes, it is," Cameron said, pulling his attention back to her. "Now why don't you leave before something happens that you may regret."

"Well, that's what you don't get," Danny responded wistfully. "I'm way past regrets."

Facing his wife, Danny continued, "Gina, you really should have known better than to involve others in this mess but since you have you've given me no choice. I've let things go on far too long and now it's time for me to set your new found _friend _right and put you in your place."

Cameron could feel her heart nearly beating out of her chest as she saw Danny take a couple steps towards her and Gina. She reached into the still open drawer, took out the gun and pointed it at the man.

"Don't come any closer," Cameron warned.

Taken by surprise, Danny stopped in his tracks. Shaking his head, he looked at Gina with a wry expression and commented, "You would think after all these years I would learn not to underestimate you."

Deciding his best chance for escape was to create a diversion he continued, "I certainly never would have guessed that you would become such good friends with your boyfriend's lover."

Gina's eyes narrowed slightly and she spat out, "Robert already admitted there's nothing going on with the two of them. You're a liar."

"Somebody's lying but you know it isn't me," Danny insisted as he took a couple of small steps forward. "I've never lied to you. The nurses at the hospital love to gossip and they told me everything."

He could see the wheels turning in Gina's mind and knew that time was of the essence but before he could reach for the gun, Gina grabbed it from Cameron and fired two shots. Cameron screamed as Danny fell to the ground, then realized that she was being pulled quickly from the room by Gina.

"We can't leave, he could die if we don't help him," cried Cameron.

"And he'll kill us both if we stay," argued Gina. "Let's just get to somewhere safe and then we'll call for help."

As the two women sped off in Gina's car she stated, "Thank God Robert wasn't there. At least we know he's safe."

***********************************************

Moments later Chase had driven behind the art gallery and, having noticed Cameron's car in the parking lot, ran in the back door to find Danny lying in a pool of his own blood.

Putting his fingers against the mans neck to feel for a pulse, he was relieved to learn the man was still alive. He called 9-1-1 as he ripped Danny's shirt open to search for his wounds.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I would like to apologize for taking so long to post a new chapter. I had gone on vacation for a week and had hoped to post before leaving but unfortunately didn't have time to finish it. The bad news is I went to Mexico and while I was there we heard about the swine flu outbreak. Once we got home I spent the next week thinking I was going to come down with the flu (yes, I have read too much fanfiction and expected the worst although it may not be so bad if Chase could be my doctor). The good news is we are all fine and I was finally able to concentrate on finishing this story. This is the final chapter so I hope you all like it. Stay well!**

**************************************************************

"Where are we going?" Cameron inquired, her voice shaking from their ordeal.

"To the house I used to share with Danny," Gina explained. "If he escapes he certainly wouldn't come back there knowing it's the first place the police would look for him."

"I don't know, do you really think he's alright?" Cameron asked worriedly. "He looked pretty bad. Do you have your cell phone? We left so quickly that I left mine in my handbag back at the gallery and we really should call for help as soon as possible."

"Sorry, I forgot mine too," stated Gina. "I'll call as soon as we get to the house."

**************************************************************

Having evaluated the seriousness of Danny's wounds, Chase managed to stop the flow of blood as best as possible and tried to bring him back to consciousness.

"Stay with me now," Chase said as he saw the man begin to open his eyes. "Can you tell me your name?"

"I'm Danny," the man gasped as he grabbed Chase by his shirt and pulled him closer.

**************************************************************

Once inside the house, Gina immediately picked up the phone and called the police, quickly explained what happened and told them where they could find Danny. She then invited Cameron into the kitchen for a cup of tea while they waited for the police to arrive.

Sitting at the table while she drank the hot tea, Cameron closed her eyes as she felt her body slowly begin to relax. She was quickly brought back to reality when she heard Gina ask, "So, was Danny telling the truth about you and Robert being lovers?"

Cameron snapped her head up in surprise but then quickly looked away and stammered, "Um....no....of course not."

Joining her at the table, Gina smiled slightly and commented, "Why don't I believe you? I wouldn't blame you. I just need to know the truth."

Looking down in embarrassment, Cameron admitted, "It was only one night and it happened about a year ago. We both agreed it would never happen again."

Gina seemed doubtful and asked, "What about earlier tonight at your apartment? Didn't you have sex with him then?"

"He told you he was at my apartment?" Cameron inquired disconcertingly.

"Don't be silly," Gina laughed.

Seeing the confusion on Cameron's face, Gina rolled her eyes and explained, "I followed him there. He had no idea, of course, and when he _finally_ came out of your building he called me and lied about where he was. I figured there was only one reason to lie so if you didn't manage to get him in bed, then what _was _going on?"

**************************************************************

"I see you got my letter," Danny managed between breaths, holding onto Chase's shirt in desperation. "I wasn't sure if you would believe me."

"It was hard not to after you gave such a detailed list of court documents and witnesses I could call," Chase replied. "I've seen you hanging around the hospital. Why didn't you come forward sooner to warn me about how crazy Gina is?"

"Because I was being selfish," Danny admitted. "I've been trying to get her to divorce me and out of my life for so long that when she met you I was thrilled that she had found someone else's life to ruin. But then, knowing what she's capable of, I started feeling guilty so I began to snoop around. Once I realized that she was trying to get rid of Dr. Cameron, I knew something had to be done. She's crazy like a fox though and very good at covering her tracks so I had to make sure I had enough evidence to pin on her this time."

"Am I going to die?" Danny asked, wincing from the pain and about to lose consciousness once again.

"No, you'll be fine," Chase told him. "One bullet went clean through and the other is lodged in your spleen. You've lost a lot of blood but the ambulance will be here soon. What happened and where are Cameron and Gina?"

Chase watched in hopelessness as Danny passed out before he could answer.

**************************************************************

Cameron was momentarily speechless as it dawned on her that she had ignored her original feelings about this woman and realized that now she was in serious danger. Attempting to stand so she could move away from Gina, she was overcome with dizziness and fell back into her chair.

"You put something in my tea," she said weakly.

"Your boss really shouldn't leave his Vicodin lying around for just anyone to find," replied Gina nonchalantly. "I hope I didn't give you too much."

"Why are you doing this?" Cameron asked, noticing her words were slightly slurred. "Things were going great between you and Chase so why mess that up?"

"With you in the picture, Robert was distracted," Gina answered coldly. "It's obvious that he has feelings for you so you needed to be gone. Everything would have been much easier if you had just gotten fired as planned. Hell, you couldn't even kill Danny and be charged with his murder after I gave you every opportunity back at the gallery."

Picking up the gun and pointing it at Cameron, Gina added, "Unfortunately, now the plans have changed."

"The police will be here soon," Cameron pleaded. "You must know you can't get away with this."

"You know, for a doctor, you can be pretty dense," Gina laughed. "You still believe that I actually called the police? No, I'm sorry to tell you that poor Danny isn't going to make it....and neither are you."

Stepping closer and aiming the pistol at Cameron's midsection, Gina calmly gave details of her revised plan, "You see, there was a struggle for the gun between you and Danny, the gun went off and we originally thought you were just grazed by the bullet. I then grabbed the gun and shot him in self defense so we could escape. We didn't realize you had been so seriously injured until we got here because you were in shock from the loss of blood. I did my best to save you but it was too late."

Smiling cruelly, Gina went on, "Too bad you'll miss my performance when I call 9-1-1 and report that you've been shot by my ex-husband."

A voice from behind Gina announced, "Too bad you'll miss giving that performance."

Turning quickly to see who was there, Gina was shocked to see Chase standing in the hallway. Noticing Gina move quickly towards Cameron, Chase picked up a flat, stainless steel candy dish from the living room table and threw it over handed like a boomerang towards the gun. As the dish knocked the weapon from her hand, Cameron forcefully pushed the chair with her foot towards Gina causing the woman to fall to the floor.

Hearing sirens coming towards the house, Gina scrambled to her feet and ran to the back door to make her escape only to be met by police as they rushed in.

Chase ran to Cameron and pulled her into his arms, caressing her hair softly and kissing her cheek as he tried to comfort her.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

"Thank God you made it here in time," Cameron said. "How did you find us?"

"Danny had left me a letter explaining everything Gina has done to him," Chase explained as he held her tight. "It turns out that she has been stalking him and terrorizing his family for years. Once I realized that you were in danger, I did everything I could to find you. Fortunately, she left her handbag at the gallery and I found this address on her license. I knew it was my only hope and called the police on my way here."

Wrapping her arms tightly around Chase's neck, Cameron whispered into his chest, "Is Danny dead?"

"No, he's going to be fine" Chase answered, pulling away slightly. Looking sorrowfully into her eyes, he continued, "Cameron, I'm so sorry. I should have listened to you from the beginning."

With a faint smile, Cameron managed to tease, "You have lousy taste in girlfriends. You should work on that."

Chase pulled her close in his arms once again and remarked, "I promise to be more careful in the future."

**The End.**


End file.
